Michael Wearne
The Practice

Recovery, growth and wellbeing — support shaped around where life is right now.

Psychosocial recovery coaching leads the work — practical, compassionate and collaborative — with counselling and creative therapy alongside to deepen it. All of it is shaped by years of creative attention behind a camera: a way of seeing what's actually there, with your creative needs at the front. Sessions happen wherever feels safest — somewhere green for a walk, a favourite public space, or by telehealth — funded privately or through the NDIS.

Wisteria against a pale Kyoto sky
Kyoto, 2024
Recovery & Skills

Capability, confidence and momentum — practical support for a self-directed life.

Forward-moving support, woven into everyday life at a pace that feels right.

Sunset over Kyoto with pagoda silhouette
Kyoto, 2023

Psychosocial Recovery Coaching

Primary service — NDIS

Collaborative support for those living with psychosocial disability — focused on building a meaningful, self-directed life, not just managing symptoms.

Together we work out what recovery means — personal development, ambitions and dreams included, not just service goals — then build the skills, supports and routines to get there.

  • Recovery planning built around your ambitions and dreams, not a template
  • Support to navigate the NDIS, services and systems
  • Coordination with existing supports and clinicians
  • Available to self-managed and plan-managed participants

Skills Development

Capability & independence

The everyday capabilities that make independence possible — built gradually, in real settings, never taught at a distance.

  • Routines, organisation and the practical side of daily life
  • Confidence in community, services and relationships
  • Person-centred, supportive and entirely self-paced
  • Side by side and genuinely invested — not instruction from across a desk
Counselling & Art Therapy

Counselling, creativity and expression — informed with care, reflection and personal experience.

Held in a confidential, thoughtful space where you can explore, reflect and discover new ways of seeing. This isn't defined by four walls, but by the care, presence, and attention we bring to the work together.

Yasaka pagoda at blue hour, Kyoto
Kyoto, 2023

Counselling

One-to-one

A confidential space to work through what's hard to carry — with someone who listens the way a photographer waits: carefully, patiently, without judgement.

Whether it's a specific difficulty or a general sense that things aren't right, counselling offers room to think out loud, be heard, and find a way forward.

  • Unhurried, person-centred sessions
  • Wherever you're most comfortable — walking, a public space, or telehealth
  • No referral required

Art Therapy

Creative communication

Art therapy is a self-reflective way of communicating: whatever media feels comfortable, used to express what's hard to put into words.

Often that means exploring the art of expression — sometimes through photography, sometimes AI image generation, sometimes ink and paper — all ways of seeing differently.

  • A self-reflective process, led by whichever media feels comfortable
  • I lead with the image — the medium is yours to explore
  • Creativity is the communication that words alone may not convey
How it works

Starting is simple, and there's never any obligation.

A relaxed first conversation, then a simple strategy shaped together.

A maple branch over a temple wall, Kyoto
Kyoto, 2024
Step 01

Say hello

A short chat by phone or email — a chance to share where things are at, and to hear how I work.

Step 02

First session

We meet wherever feels right for you — a walk, a favourite public space, or online — and start mapping what matters most.

Step 03

A plan, together

We agree on goals, frequency and funding, and put a simple plan in writing.

Step 04

Ongoing support

Regular sessions, reviewed along the way. The plan changes when life does.

Common questions

Questions, answered.

Tokyo Radio Department Store, Akihabara
Tokyo, 2024
Is an NDIS plan needed to work together?

No. Recovery coaching is typically funded under an NDIS plan, but counselling and art therapy are also available privately. If a plan's coverage is unclear, I'm happy to read through it together.

Which NDIS participants can be supported?

I work with self-managed and plan-managed participants. If agency-managed, get in touch anyway — I can point the way.

Are you an authorised NDIS provider?

Yes. I believe good practice begins with knowing the boundaries of my expertise, maintaining appropriate training, and working with integrity. I advocate for NDIS budgets that are thoughtful, purposeful and responsible — participant-centred, supporting meaningful, functional change.

Where do sessions happen?

Wherever feels right. There's no clinic — some people like to walk somewhere green, others prefer a favourite park or café, a place that feels safe, or telehealth. We find what works for you, and change it whenever you like.

Do I need a referral?

No referral is needed for an initial conversation or to begin working together.